vWA What is harvest trail?

STUART Harvest Trail Service (HTS) is a government initiative by the Federal Government. It provides HTS officers in all Australian states and territories. It covers the main harvest regions where there’s a high level of short-term workers for the picking, packing, pruning and processing of fruits and vegetables. Rural Enterprises is the Harvest Trail provider for Western Australia. The service is free and looks after regions in the South West (Bunbury to Margaret River, Pemberton and Donnybrook) and north of Perth (Gingin, Swan Valley).

vWA What is available outside of those areas?

STUART Outside of those areas is a government initiative called Harvest Trail Information Service. It acts as a call centre through which growers can advertise a role on the Workforce Australia website.

vWA What is your role as a Harvest Trail Officer?

STUART Our role is to provide a free service to find growers short-term seasonal workers for peak periods. We listen to what the grower is looking for, screen workers and do the necessary compliance checks.

vWA When was it launched?

STUART In WA, it was launched in July 2020. The Federal Government asked us, Rural Enterprises, if we would be the provider for those regions. We have a strong background in rural recruitment. Prior to that, there were 12 regions, predominantly in Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia, operating for about 15 to 20 years. But WA didn’t have a

provider until 2020. All HTS deeds are due to expire in June this year. We’re still waiting to hear if there will be a Harvest Trail Provider in Western Australia in the future. It would be a great loss if the program is ceased.

vWA What was it like starting during the pandemic?

STUART We were pivotable in finding workers and were instrumental in trying to attract candidates into WA. At the time, there were no workers around. Now the backpacker numbers have returned to higher than they’ve ever been and there’s been an increase in the uptake of the PALM scheme. A lot of growers are inundated with people in their regions looking for work. We’re busy with the clients we service, but we can help more growers out there.

vWA Are there any changes ahead?

STUART There’s lots of talk about visas changing and many other changes have happened, such as those on the UK working holiday visa will no longer need to complete their regional 88 days. There is talk of making the working holiday visa only for one year. There are also many changes to the current PALM scheme. I’m sure there will be an impact on the number of candidates available for farmers during those peak periods. So it would be a shame if there were no Harvest Trail officer in the regions to help navigate through that.

vWA How many workers do you have on your books now?

STUART Around 400 people are registered with us right now looking for work. We usually have between 300 to 500 at any one time. We have many candidates who only find work through us as they can be rest assured they will be working for a good employer When it comes to backpackers many are the same ones that the growers have knocking on their doors. Growers refer them back to us as we do all the recruitment process for them including VEVO checks. We are a free service, so can make it a lot easier for growers and take away that headache of having to recruit, especially in that peak time.

vWA How many workers do you have on your books now?

STUART Yes, absolutely. One of our main mandates is to encourage the local workforce in a region and, of course, some clients are willing to sponsor. While the majority on our books are itinerant workers, we have those looking at placing into more longer for longer term roles.

Stuart with colleague Kyle Martin.

vWA So what’s the process for growers to hire through you?

STUART They need to contact us, fill out an online registration form and we will make contact for more details and information about a job. We search for suitable people on our database who have the particular skills and experience needed. We can advertise it through social media, our website and the Workforce Australia site. We screen candidates, ensure they are eligible to work, then provide growers with a shortlist of suitable candidates together with their contact details. The grower can call them directly to see if they are suitable. Its that simple.

vWA How would you hope that a grower works with you?

STUART We need a clear job description, and the ability to keep communication open. We do farm visits to meet growers and have a look at their infrastructure. By doing that we can really make sure that we are getting the right candidates for that grower. But I think information is key. And once a candidate is placed, we follow up with grower and worker for feedback.